Edge of Expendable 2: Ghosts of Lee's Past
by FictionWriter91
Summary: Lee Christmas is living the simple life, and he thinks he's enjoying it. After fighting in the War, he just wants to spend his time fixing cars and loving his wife, Rita Vrataski. It all gets shattered when a young Expendable, John Smilee, shows up and tells him news that he never thought he'd hear: Barney's alive, and he's in trouble. Will they be able to save him?
1. Simple Life Interrupted

**Hello! So, if you want to get a backstory, I advise you to read Edge of Expendable first. Otherwise, it's pretty self explanatory (I hope...I did my best to make it less confusing), but I'll fill in the blanks. Rita is from Edge of Tomorrow. She was the Angel of Verdun (and Full Metal Bitch) who had the ability to reset the day 24 hours back, and she fought an extra 300 days to try to end the war. I put Lee Christmas's character in that battle with her as Lee Hendricks. They are together now. Mark, Brady, and James were her other teammates (my creation), so when they're mentioned, that's who I'm referring to. This story is focusing more on the Expendable Team, however. Please enjoy! I'm really happy with this story and loved writing every minute of it.**

* * *

Rita Vritaski could see it all playing out before her, and it felt like a knife to the gut.

"NO!" she screamed when Lee fell. Bullets were flying around her.

"Rita," a voice far away said. "Rita, come back."

"Lee," Rita whimpered, reaching.

"Rita!" the voice said sharply. "You're safe. Open your eyes." Rita obliged, and she saw her therapist, Jenny, looking back at her.

"Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her neck. "I didn't mean to scream."

"It's okay. You were reliving a trauma. I expect that sort of thing. I just didn't want you to get too far into it that you would forget it wasn't real," Jenny said empathetically. Rita nodded slowly. It made sense. Jenny looked briefly at her watch and then back at Rita.

"I think we should stop for today. What do you think?" she asked Rita.

"I think that sounds great," Rita replied, relieved. She wasn't entirely fond of therapy, but Lee had thought it was a good idea. Lee. She couldn't wait to see him. Every time she was apart from him, she experienced panic that she would never see him again.

"See you next time," Rita said after they'd rescheduled. Jenny smiled and said goodbye as Rita went out the door. She got into her car and sat there for a moment behind the wheel, breathing. It had been a year since the War of the Mimics, but sometimes it still felt like yesterday for Rita. The thing was, she had endured that war far longer than anyone due to her stealing the ability to reset the day from an Alpha Mimic. She had lived 300 extra days fighting the same battle, trying to find the Omega to kill it. In the end, someone else had, and she had no idea who. She could picture the man who had congratulated her on Verdun and then said maybe in another life they'd known each other. She didn't know who he was, and she never saw him again after that. Shaking her head, she started the car and backed out of her spot. It was time to go home.

...

Lee Christmas (aka Hendricks) was in the garage underneath a 1970 Triumph Stag working away. Since the days of war, he found himself enjoying the simple things. Fixing up old cars was his new hobby. Sometimes he did it for others, but this car was his. He was proud of it. He heard the rumble of a vehicle coming up the driveway, and he knew it was Rita back from therapy. He heard her get out and walk towards the garage. After a moment, he was yanked out from under the car on his creeper. Rita's face was hovering above his.

"Hello," she said, smiling. He grinned back.

"Hey, you," he replied. She didn't waste any time before kissing him deeply. He refrained from putting his hands on her face or hair because he was covered in grease. He knew she wouldn't appreciate that.

"I missed you," she said after.

"I'm just that unforgettable," he teased. She playfully swatted him.

"How's the car?"

"It's coming along. How was therapy?"

"Ugh," she grimaced. "It was intense."

"Any better?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't think anyone can fix that much trauma," Rita sighed, bending back on her haunches while Lee propped himself up on his elbows, looking at her. He felt bad that she suffered so much. He hated that he had no clue about all the resets. Unlike Rita, his memory did not stay intact when she reset the day.

"You wanna talk about it?" he offered. She shook her head.

"No. It's enough that I have to talk about it in therapy. I'll leave you to your work. I just wanted to say hi," she said, standing up.

"I don't mind your company," he said as she started to walk away. She flashed him a smile over her shoulder.

"I'll call you for supper," she replied. He slid back underneath the car when she was gone. Yes, the simple life was good.

 **Evening**

Lee came inside to find Rita standing by the stove. He'd cleaned his hands and face out in the yard to get most of the grease and dirt off before coming inside.

"Ah!" she yelped, jolting backwards as grease spat and flew at her face. Lee laughed as he came around and put his arms around her.

"Use a lid if you don't want to get burned with grease," he teased, kissing her.

"How can I flip the meat with a lid on?" she asked after, smirking. He gave her his crooked smile and shook his head, getting a beer from the fridge. He sat at the counter, watching her. She worked away, ignoring him for the most part, but she liked knowing he was there. Jenny called it separation anxiety, but Rita just called it enjoying his company. Yes, she had watched him die 299 times (he survived the 300th time, so it didn't count), but she hated the term "separation anxiety." It wasn't anxiety when she was away from him. It was merely missing him.

"So how was work?" Lee asked after a while.

"It was kind of dull," she replied. She was back teaching history, and despite her PTSD and trauma from the War, she missed running around killing things with a gun sometimes.

"You're a big part of history now. Have they put the War in the curriculum yet?" he asked, curious.

"Not yet, but it'll get in there eventually."

"Imagine your students' faces when they learn their very own teacher was the Angel of Verdun," Lee smirked. Rita shot him a look before giving a small smile in return. She hated that title.

"You know, I just wondered today why you aren't going to therapy," Rita said, changing the subject and putting the spotlight on him instead.

"I don't need it," he shook his head.

"Oh? You lost your entire team. That's traumatic," she pointed out.

"I guess I've just experienced so much trauma that it doesn't bother me anymore," Lee suggested, shrugging.

"Hmm," she replied, letting it drop for now. He didn't know that he shouted in his sleep and sometimes shoved her off the bed in his angst and panic to rescue his fallen team members. She finished with supper, and Lee helped her plate it. She caught sight of his hand and made a "tsk" noise.

"What?" he asked.

"Forgetting something?" she gestured. He looked at his hand.

"Oh right. I got it," he said, pulling out his wedding band from his pocket and putting it on. "See? I didn't want it to get dirty."

"Sure," she smirked. She liked to tease him about still wanting to be a single man out on the prowl.

Lee knew she was only teasing him, but he wondered if she really thought he didn't want everyone to know they were married. Sometimes he worried about his past creeping up on him, threatening to destroy their relationship, but he really did want to show her off. He regretted not having anyone to show her off to. He had felt very aware that he was alone on their wedding day. It had been a very small, simple ceremony, but her mother and brother had been there (her father was dead) and some of her friends. He had nobody. Her brother had to be his best man. Her mum was a wonderful woman, and Lee felt grateful to have her in his life since his own parents were non-existent.

"You're the best decision I've ever made," he said to her, hugging her sideways as she balanced the plates.

"Glad to hear," she smiled. She knew he meant it.

...

Rita watched the sun go down on their back deck. It overlooked their six acre lot. They lived out in the country in England. She hated the feeling of being cramped next to neighbors. Lee had been fine with that. He still had the cottage in France they went to sometimes. Both of them had been fine with living a simple life. The War had taken it out of them.

"Another one bites the dust," Lee said as he came out with coffee for her. She still had difficulty drinking it sometimes, but most of the time she was fine. It was the one thing he had always brought her the day of the Verdun battle. It was, as Jenny called it, one of her triggers.

"Are you sure you're okay with all this?" Rita asked, gesturing.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, puzzled. He leaned against the railing, looking at her.

"I don't know. You had such an intense life before UDF, so I just thought maybe you missed it."

"Well, if I didn't have you, I'd probably be back in that lifestyle, but with you, I don't really have the desire to."

"You're just saying that," she pointed out.

"I'm really not. I mean it," he said. "It's time for a new chapter of my life. A quiet one is perfectly fine."

"Okay," she nodded. He sat down beside her then and took her hand.

"Are you okay with all this?" he asked, wondering if that was the real reason she had asked the question.

"I am," she answered.

"As long as you're sure," he pressed.

"I really am," she repeated. They locked eyes, and he could tell a part of her was lying. The thing was, though, he had been lying a little bit too.

 **The Next Day**

"I'll be back," Lee said into the bedroom. Rita was getting dressed and came into view only in her underthings. He paused to admire her for a moment. She blushed as she caught him looking, and he grinned.

"Where are you going?" she asked, pulling her t-shirt over her head.

"I'm actually reconsidering leaving at all now," he commented.

"Later," she laughed. "I'm meeting Mark for his tux fitting."

"Ah yes," Lee nodded. "That's coming up isn't it?"

"Yes, and Becky is roping me into helping him with things cos he keeps procrastinating," Rita sighed. Mark was getting married now. He had met his wife in the hospital during the war after he'd saved Rita. Becky was the one who had told Rita they'd given her a blood transfusion, thus making Rita lose her ability to reset the day. A small part of her still resented Becky even though it hadn't been her that had done it.

"Typical Mark," Lee said, watching as she tugged on her pants.

"So where are you going?" she asked again, putting her hair in a tight ponytail. Lee wished she'd leave her hair down sometimes.

"Have to get a part for the car. I shouldn't be too long."

"Okay," she said, coming out of the bedroom then. She stopped to kiss him.

"I love you," he said, touching her face.

"I love you too. See you in a bit," she added. He followed her out to the driveway, and they got into their separate vehicles. He let her leave first. He had a smile on his face the whole way he drove to get his part.

 **Later**

Lee was later coming home as he'd gotten caught up in a conversation with the mechanic about his car. He saw that Rita was back home. It was a Saturday, so no school. He got out of his truck and headed for the house.

"Rita," he called. "Sorry I'm late. Got hung up at..." He trailed off as he stumbled upon a man pointing a gun at Rita and Rita pointing a gun back at him.

"Hello," the man said, flicking his eyes to Lee. "Long time no see."

"Lee, who is he?" Rita asked, not wavering her gaze or aim. "I found him in our kitchen when I got home."

"Is she cool?" the man asked Lee. "Can I stand down now?"

Lee couldn't believe who he was seeing.

"John?" he said. "John Smilee?"

"Yup," John nodded.

"Who is he?" Rita asked again. Lee went over and put his hand on her gun, pushing it down.

"He's all right," he told her. He looked over at the kid, the less rookie one of all the rookies that Barney had wrangled up a while ago. Lee had seen him fight and drive his bike in their battle against Conrad. He had to admit the guy was impressive. He was also former U.S. Marine. John lowered his gun and holstered it.

"Why is he here?" Rita asked, feeling angry.

"Why are you here, John?" Lee asked him.

"Because. I got mailed this," John answered, holding out a package. Lee took it gingerly. Rita watched them both, going back and forth between them and wondering just what the hell was going on.

"The rest of the team still together?" Lee asked, not opening the package yet. He was curious.

"Yea. Luna, Thorn, Galgo, and Mars say hello. They regret they couldn't come and see you in person. I was voted to go."

"Why's that?"

"Well, they figured you wouldn't kill me on the spot," John smirked. Lee chuckled.

"They might be right," he agreed.

"We're sorry we didn't help with the War," John said seriously. "Barney wouldn't let us go."

Rita's attention was grabbed then. Barney? As in Lee's old friend, Barney?

"It was for the best. It didn't end so well," Lee explained.

"We figured we'd never be needed again until that came," John said, gesturing to the package. "Open it."

Lee popped the flap and shook the envelope. What came out of it and landed in his hand made his heart almost stop and his blood run cold.

"The skull ring," Rita whispered, seeing it. Lee had told her about it before.

"Barney's alive, Lee," John said. "And he's in trouble."

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 **If you have time to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it :)**


	2. Viel Gluck

Lee stared at the ring in the palm of his hand. Barney's "good luck" ring. How the hell did it get into John's hands? He knew Barney had been wearing it the day he died.

"Lee?" John prompted, making Lee finally look at him.

"Who sent this to you?" Lee demanded. He felt fury inside of him. Was it a trick? A prank? Was someone messing with them?

"I don't know," John answered. He pulled out a piece of paper then. "This came with it." He handed it to Lee, who unfolded it, still looking at John. Rita had no idea what to look at. Her eyes bounced back and forth between Lee, John, the ring, and the piece of paper.

"Read it," Rita urged. Lee scanned it quickly.

 **But things AReN't what thEY seem. With this ring, I bid thee viel gluck.**

"What the hell is this?" Lee asked, shoving the paper back at John, who fumbled it before getting a hold of it.

"It's from Barney," John said.

"How do you know?"

"Let me see," Rita said, holding out her hand. John stared at her.

"It's all right. She is my wife," Lee added. John handed it to her then, and she looked at it, frowning.

"He's spelt out his name," she said.

"Where?" Lee asked, looking at it with her.

"See? He's capitalized letters to spell 'Barney.'"

"Then what's with the ending?" Lee asked, feeling stupid for not catching that right away. His anger and confusion was clouding his senses.

"Viel gluck," she murmured. "It's German. I think he's trying to say he's in Germany."

"Viel gluck means good luck," John chimed in. "Luna figured that out."

"What the hell is he doing in Germany? I saw him die!" Lee shouted, banging his fist on the countertop. Both Rita and John flinched.

"Obviously he's saying things are not what they seem," Rita said timidly, handing him the note. "So I guess perhaps he didn't die after all."

"Or it's someone being a wise ass and is trying to lure me into a trap," Lee snapped. "I'm not falling for it."

"We didn't either, but then we got this," John said, holding up his phone and hitting "play."

"Drummer here. News has come to us that one of your old Expendable teammates is in trouble in Germany. We were sent photos. It's not good. Rally up your crew and come meet me in the old meet spot ASAP."

"Have you gone?" Lee asked him. John shook his head.

"We wanted to find you first."

"How did you know where to find me?" Lee questioned.

"We read the article about you and...and her," John answered carefully, looking at Rita. "You two were on the team that fought in Verdun. It was big news back home. It also mentioned London was the last place you were seen, so we took a guess."

"Drummer found me, didn't he?"

"Well...yes. He said he wanted us to talk to you. He didn't think you'd listen to him."

"So was the ring mailed to you or to him?"

"Him," John admitted. "He thought it would help you make your decision if it came from just me."

"What are you going to do?" Rita asked nervously. Lee hesitated. If Barney was alive and in trouble, he wanted to rescue his friend. He owed him that much. At the same time, though, he didn't want to leave Rita. He had a strange feeling this whole thing was a trap of some kind. Who was behind this? He didn't like it. There was too much of a sinister feeling behind all of this. Barney wouldn't wish him good luck. He'd say something else that was more direct or at least smart ass. That note felt orchestrated by someone else. A flash of Barney being killed before his eyes replayed in his mind. It was too real. There was no way he'd survived that.

"You tell Drummer I'm out," Lee said.

"What?" John exclaimed. "What do you mean, you're out? It's Barney!"

"I don't know that for sure," Lee cut him off. "Until I am, I'm not going anywhere."

"So...so I have to tell Drummer..."

"I'm out," Lee repeated. "Go on."

"Lee," John tried.

"Go. On," Lee said firmly, pointing. John reached for the ring, but Lee held onto it.

"I'll look after it," he said as John started to stammer about Drummer and evidence.

"Okay," John said. He left the house then, and the door slammed behind him. Lee exhaled and bent over the counter, the ring still in his hand.

"Lee?" Rita said, moving her hands onto his back. "Are you okay?"

"None of this makes any sense," Lee replied, looking at the ring. "I saw him die, Rita. I saw them all die. There's no way he's still alive."

"I believe you," Rita said. She didn't know what else to say. Her phone chirped then, and she looked at it.

"Brady wants to do dinner," she said, looking at him. He'd stayed in touch since Lee had saved his life in Verdun after all.

"Not tonight," Lee responded, pulling away and retreating to the bedroom. He needed to think. Rita replied to Brady's text thanking him for the invite but asked to do it another time. She set her phone down, looking after where Lee went. She knew they were in for a long night.

...

"BARNEY!" Lee shouted, thrashing. Rita woke up in time to avoid the flying fist. She sat up and started to shake him.

"Lee!"

"Run! Run, dammit!"

"LEE!" Rita yelled. His eyes flew open, and he sat up, one hand grabbing her wrist and the other her throat. His eyes were wild, and she knew he wasn't fully awake yet.

"Lee," she choked, pulling at his fingers. First anger, then panic, then recognition hit his face.

"Rita," he said, releasing her. "Oh God, I'm so sorry."

"You were having a nightmare," she said, massaging her throat. He gripped his head in his hands. He couldn't believe he'd hurt his wife like that.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay. You didn't know it was me," she soothed.

"That's no excuse. I nearly strangled you," he argued. She moved into his lap then, putting her hands on his face and resting her forehead against his.

"I could have kicked your ass if I really wanted to," she told him, smiling a little. "So no, you wouldn't have strangled me."

"That doesn't make me feel better," he said, looking at her. "You shouldn't have to defend yourself in bed from your husband."

"Nightmares are part of trauma," Rita started.

"I don't have trauma," he growled.

"Yes, you do, whether you like it or not," she said, gripping his face. "Now, do you want to talk about it or not?"

"Talk about what?"

"The fact that you just learned your best friend could still be alive?"

"He's not."

"Lee..."

"And so what if he was?! I can't go traipsing across Germany looking for him. I...I have a different life now," he finished.

"That's a lie, and you know it. We both know you want to go," Rita said, giving him a stern look. "You don't have to lie to me, Lee. If you miss your old life, it's okay."

"I can't go with a bunch of rookie kids," Lee said bitterly. "I'll be dead in the first five minutes."

"Then I'll go with you," Rita offered. He stared at her.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'll go with you. I'm a very good shot, if you recall," she added.

"I don't want you anywhere near this. I can't risk losing you."

"Look, I'm tired of being just a teacher. Believe it or not, I miss action...fighting. I want to go with you," Rita said fiercely. Lee didn't say anything for a while until he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She felt his heartbeat against her chest as her chin rested on his bare shoulder.

"This might get us killed," he said eventually, his face against her hair.

"I know."

"You really want to come with me?"

"Yes."

"All right, but you have to promise to do what I say, got it?"

"I understand, but don't forget I am the sergeant major," she reminded him. "Some also have called me the Full Metal Bitch."

"This is a different kind of fight, Rita," Lee said solemnly.

"And the Mimics were just a walk in the park?" she challenged.

"No, I guess not, I just..."

"I'll be fine, Lee. I'll follow your lead, and we'll find your friend."

"I'll call Drummer tomorrow."

"Will you be all right now?" she asked.

"I'm not exactly tired," he confessed. He didn't want to close his eyes again. He didn't like watching his team get slaughtered even if it was just a dream.

"Perhaps I can help with that," Rita suggested.

"In what way?" he asked, knowing full well what she meant. He gripped her to him when she started kissing him. Rita didn't want to think of it as the potential last time. She just wanted to distract them both from what they were about to face. In no time, she had him pressed down on his back while he tugged off her slip. She lost herself as his hands and lips roamed. A flash of memory of the first time they did this threatened to interrupt, and she pushed it away. She still had guilt that he didn't remember it and she did. She couldn't talk to Jenny about it because Jenny didn't know about Rita's past ability to relive the same day over and over again. That was just looking for trouble if she told her.

"Yea?" Lee's voice interrupted. He was looking at her for the go ahead.

"Uh huh," she replied. She forced her mind to stay in the present as Lee flipped her onto her back and rested on top of her. He was quite good at this, she had to admit. Not even her dead ex husband had made her feel this way.

"Rita," he groaned in her ear, making her shiver. After, Lee pressed his lips into her neck before lying beside her.

"Tired now?" she asked, joking.

"Oh yea," he answered, drifting off slowly. She rolled to her side, putting an arm over his chest and burying her face into his neck. She felt him slide his other arm around her to hold her in place just before she gave in to the blackness of sleep.

 **The Next Day**

Lee opened his eyes to see that Rita was gone. He sat up, looking around. Then he remembered yesterday. John, Barney, and that damn ring. Sighing, he got up. He might as well see what the hell was going on. He found Rita in the kitchen cleaning her guns.

"Subtle," he teased, opening the fridge and getting something to drink.

"I'm thinking of buying some other ones. What do you think?"

"I think you need to come to my garage," Lee answered, finishing his juice and setting the glass down. "Come on."

"What do you have in the garage besides an old car?" she asked, curious. He took her hand and led her to see for herself. She watched him unlock the hatch in the back of the garage in the office part and climb down the ladder. She followed gingerly. Once at the bottom, he flicked on the light. She gasped.

"Lee!"

"What?" he asked innocently. She gaped at all the guns, knives, explosives, and vests he had.

"Where did you get all this?!"

"I accumulated it. Some of it is my old stuff. I had a contact bring it for me," Lee answered. He perused through his options, picking out what he wanted. Rita put her hands behind her head, slowly spinning around and taking it all in.

"Old faithful," he said, tapping his knife in the palm of his hand. "Of course she's coming."

"She?" Rita asked.

"It's like a car or a ship. It's a she," Lee answered as though it was the most logical thing in the world.

"This is insane," she said.

"All right, if it's that insane, I could say it's a he, but it feels weird," Lee went on.

"Not the knife!" she said loudly. "All of...this!" She gestured wildly. "This stuff is insane. How did I not know you had it all down here?"

"I didn't tell you?" he said as a question. She crossed her arms and gave him a sharp look.

"So you weren't really satisfied with our quiet life," she countered.

"You weren't either," he pointed out. "You said so last night right before you shagged me."

"Lee," Rita said impatiently. "Stop deflecting. Why did you keep all this stuff if you liked our life?"

"I don't know," Lee said truthfully. "I guess I just liked to have it on hand for something like this."

"I need some air," she said, going back up the ladder. Lee finished collecting his weapons of choice and put them in a bag, which he carried up the ladder on his shoulder. He put it in the back of his truck and shut the door. He paused then, sensing something was off. There was a familiar tingle on the back of his neck, as though he was being watched. He fingered his knife, which was tucked up his sleeve, as he walked slowly to the house. He stopped when he saw a man holding a gun to Rita's head. She had a bloody nose, which meant she had fought back and lost.

"Lee Christmas," the man said. "We thought you were dead."

"Surprise," Lee said. He didn't know who it was. He didn't recognize him.

"Why don't you drop your little knife, huh? No one needs to get hurt," he went on, pressing the gun into Rita's head further. She looked at Lee, and he could see she was scared. He obeyed, keeping his eyes on Rita.

"The gun too."

He tossed it in front of him.

"Come on inside," the man said. "I have something to show you." Lee walked slowly behind this stranger as he dragged Rita into the house. There were three more men inside, and one had a laptop.

"Who are you?" Lee asked once they were in. Two of the three men grabbed a hold of his arms. Rita was passed to the third guy.

"Oh, you don't know me, but you were familiar with my brother. You see, I don't like when people murder my family."

"Refresh my memory," Lee said. "I've killed a lot of people."

"Vilena," the man said softly. Lee swallowed. Images of that fight came into his mind and the showdown at the end.

"I see."

"James Munroe was my brother, my best friend. I didn't take too kindly to his death," the man went on.

"Sorry about that."

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be," the man said, opening the laptop. Lee flinched when he saw the live feed of Barney being beaten. Rita made a noise, but Lee ignored her.

"You're crazy if you think you can keep him down," Lee said softly. The man leaned into his face then.

"He's been down for about a year, thanks to you abandoning him. I've had him since the War. His pals too."

"What?" Lee asked, his stomach coiling now. The camera panned to shots of Toll, Doc, and Gunner.

"Sad to say, Caesar was lost to his wounds from those aliens."

"They're dead," Lee insisted. "I saw them all die by Mimics."

"Did you? See, they weren't quite as dead as you thought when my guys picked them up," the man laughed. "The only bad thing was you got away. Then we couldn't find you, but here we are."

"You sent the ring," Lee said.

"Bingo," the man answered. "I knew Drummer would flush you out for us. So, I think it's time to say goodnight. It's a shame you've got such a pretty thing to be killed alongside you, but that's on your head."

"Don't you touch her," Lee warned.

"When I'm done here," the man said, sneering. "You will never forget the name Scott Munroe, even in the afterlife."

"Lee," Rita said, frightened. Scott punched Lee in the face then, making him go down.

"Lee! No!" Rita cried. Her captor twisted her arm, making her cry out. Lee was picked up by the other two, and Scott smiled at him.

"Take care of them," he ordered his men. He looked back at Lee. "Ta ta." He sauntered out of the house.

Lee could tell the one holding Rita was going to snap her neck, and the two hanging onto him were probably going to shoot his brains out. It looked a little grim, but then again, he was Lee Christmas after all. He met Rita's eyes and gave the slightest nod. Her eyes widened, but she understood.

"Merry Christmas, boys," Lee said. He head butted the one as Rita elbowed hers in his face, making him lose his grip of her. She threw him onto the counter while Lee grabbed the kitchen knife and stabbed the one before throwing it into the other's throat.

"Wait! Wait!" the third shouted when Lee approached.

"Shoulda thought of that before you came in here and tried to kill my wife," Lee said, snapping the man's neck.

"Oh my God," Rita said, shaking. Lee went to her, and she threw herself into his arms.

"I'm going to be sick," she said. "Lee, I'm going to be sick."

"It's all right," he reassured her. "They're dead. We'll get the other bastard."

"He was going to kill us."

"Yes he was. Do you see what I mean now?" Lee asked, making her look at him. He wiped her face gently with his shirt to get the blood off. "Are you sure you want to be a part of this?" Rita looked at the dead men on her kitchen floor and back to Lee, and she knew she couldn't be separated from Lee now.

"I'm a part of this already. We do this together," she said.

"All right. You-" Lee stopped short. There was a whining sound, one that was usually associated with a bomb.

"What?"

"Shit. Get out!" he shouted, grabbing the laptop and her hand and yanking her to the door. They ran hard down the steps and out onto the driveway just as the house blew up. Rita was thrown roughly to the ground by the blast, and Lee landed beside her. She put her arms over her head, waiting for more. Lee jumped to his feet.

"Come on," he urged. "Get up." He pulled her to his truck and grabbed his bag. Then they headed for the shed.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled the tarp off his bike. He stuffed the laptop into his bag and handed it to her.

"Put it on," he ordered. She did so while he grabbed helmets. He pulled another gun out of a box and loaded it. Rita felt her heart hammering as he started the bike and got on. She climbed onto the back, wondering if this was the safest way of travel. Lee figured if his house had been rigged, then their vehicles probably were too. He turned down the road and floored it. Rita gripped him hard, afraid of falling off. Lee had no idea where to go, but he knew he needed to get a hold of Drummer somehow. Any other time he would have called Tool, but he had heard through a contact that Tool had died of a heart attack not long after hearing his team had "died" in the War. Lee knew he'd really died from a broken heart from thinking he'd lost his family. He felt Barney's ring in his pocket and hoped to God it would bring them luck even though he had always been skeptical of it.

* * *

 **If you have the time to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.**


	3. Brace Yourselves

Scott was sipping his coffee on his private jet and feeling very confident. Lee Christmas was taken care of. Now he was going to finish off the rest of them. His goal was finally complete. He'd known that bastard Lee was out there when he didn't find him with the others that fateful day. Barney had shoved him off the cliff. Then he had escaped. It had been so infuriating. It wasn't until he thought of the ring idea that he realized he had his way of finding Lee. It had been so simple after that. Drummer was an idiot, and that kid was even dumber. He'd take care of them next. He didn't want anymore Expendables running around. They landed a few hours later back in Winterberg. He would complete his task the next day. All the flying and terrorizing had worn him out.

...

Lee phoned John on the burner cell while Rita stood guard.

"Yea?"

"John, it's Lee. Look, we've got a problem."

"What kind of problem."

"The people who have Barney tracked you to my house. They tried to kill me and my wife, and they blew up my house. I'm not very impressed," Lee finished.

"What? They followed me?!"

"Which means Drummer has been tagged. The whole ring thing was a trap. Cut him loose, gather your team, and meet us at the coordinates I'm going to give you."

"I can't just cut him loose. He knows how to find me."

"Do it. Or stay home. I can call someone else."

"Okay, okay. I'll cut him loose."

"Tell the others to head over here. You take a different route. If you see you're being followed, don't come to us. Got it?"

"Got it."

Lee gave him the directions then to pass on to the others.

"I'm really sorry, Lee..." John started.

"Save it. You're still an-"

"Do NOT say amateur," John ordered. "I made a mistake. I'm sure you've made mistakes. That doesn't make me an amateur."

"You've still got a lot to learn," Lee said indifferently. He hung up then, feeling annoyed.

"I can't get the video," Rita said from the laptop. She had been trying to find the live feed again to get some clues.

"There weren't really any clues that would help us," Lee said, seeing his mates all trussed up again, and Barney...oh God, Barney being flogged. Rita touched his hand.

"If he's the way you say he is, he'll get out."

Lee didn't respond. He knew his friend was suffering badly. If he hadn't been able to escape after this long, then Lee didn't know how they could escape now.

...

Rita booked them into a hotel under false names. Lee checked out the place to make sure no one was watching them. He knew Scott would have a false sense of security for about a day before he realized his goons weren't corresponding with him anymore. That would tip him off, and the hunt would be on again. He just hoped they had enough time to surprise Scott before he found out.

"Are you okay?" Rita asked when he came into the room and bolted the door.

"Not really," he admitted.

"Can I help?"

"Not much you can do, luv."

"Who was the other person you said you could call?" she prompted, thinking it would help him to talk about saving his friends.

"Ah," Lee nodded. "Right." He picked up his phone and dialed. Rita watched.

"Hey, it's me. Don't hang up! I know it's been a while. I'm sorry we didn't include you. It's for the best anyway after you hear what I have to say. Barney's been captured. For a year. Yes, I'm a shit friend, I know. I didn't know! I thought they had died in the War. Look, I'm asking you now, are you in or out?"

Rita held her breath as Lee waited for a response.

"Good. Come find me," he said, giving the other person his coordinates. Then he hung up.

"Who was that?" she asked, curious.

"Trench Mauser. If anyone is gonna help save anybody's ass, it's him," Lee sighed.

"So he's going to help us?"

"Yes. He's got Yin Yang with him too, so that helps."

"Yin Yang?"

"Our hand to hand combat specialist," Lee explained. "Very short, though."

"Tempered?"

"No, no. Height."

"Oh."

"Toll is our demolitions expert. Gunner is...Gunner. Doc is a medic and other knives specialist."

"Who's the other one?" Rita asked.

"Me," he answered.

"Ah, that makes sense," Rita nodded, remembering their knife throwing contest back when they first met. Her memory went back to the photo of the team that Lee had framed in their house. She tried to remember who was who.

"You get some sleep. I'll keep watch," Lee said, loading his gun and sliding it into his holster. Rita saw his knives in his other one on his other leg.

"See you when I wake up," she said.

"This'll be over soon," he promised. She didn't say anything else before getting into bed and turning the light off. Lee sat in the darkness, waiting. Just in case.

...

Lee snapped his attention over to where Rita was sleeping. He was certain he'd heard her crying, so he stood and went over to look at her. She wasn't making a sound.

"Rita?" he said quietly. She didn't answer. He bent down to kiss her cheek softly, brushing her hair aside. She shifted but didn't wake up. He went back to his chair. It was around three a.m. now, and he was feeling a little tired. He rested his head on the wall. He figured he could get some shut eye for an hour or two. Truth be told, he was scared to sleep. Images of Barney were trapped in his head, and he didn't want to have nightmares. In the end, though, sleep won.

...

"Wake up," Rita urged, touching Lee's shoulder. She leaped back when his arm shot out to grab her. He came to full attention immediately and aimed his gun at her.

"It's me!" she cried, holding her hands up.

"Geez," he said, lowering it. "Don't scare me like that."

"You really are on high alert all the time aren't you?" she asked.

"You have to be when people are trying to kill you," he replied, standing up to stretch.

"Did you sleep much?"

"A little."

"Won't you be tired for the day?"

"It's not my first time, luv."

Rita waited for him to finish in the washroom before she put the belt on from the bag. She felt right at home like she did during the War. She loaded herself up with ammunition and a few guns. Lee came out and smiled when he saw her.

"What?" she asked.

"You're just so hot," he commented. He wiped the rest of the water off his face from when he splashed it a moment ago.

"Where have I heard that before?" she teased before remembering that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Let me guess. That's something I said on one of your reset trips," Lee said, putting his coat on.

"It was what led up to our first kiss actually," she explained. She looked at him cautiously, wondering if he'd be angry. He didn't seem to be.

"Well, I'm right," was all he said. "Let's go." She followed him out the door, and he took her hand as they walked. He didn't want to get separated from her. Who knew if Scott had figured it out yet.

...

Barney heard the ominous footsteps approaching, and he knew it was the end.

"Judgment Day," Scott said, stopping in front of him. He tilted his head. "You seem disappointed. I have to say, finding Lee Christmas took long enough, but his death feels sooo good."

Barney hardly dared to hope that his friend had escaped. Scott was a bit sadistic. Toll, Gunner, and Doc were quiet as Scott knelt in front of Barney.

"Bet you wish you'd stayed out of Vilena now," he whispered. Then he roared with laughter. "All right! Who's first?" He went over to stand in front of Doc, who closed his eyes.

"Sir! Sir!" a voice called. Scott turned to see his assistant standing there looking scared.

"What?" he snapped. "I'm busy!"

"It's Mr. Lee," the assistant said, trembling. "He...he got away." The silence in the room was deafening. It was all Barney could do to contain his laughter. Of course Lee got away. The man was a ghost when he wanted to be.

"What did you say?" Scott said in a low voice.

"H-he g-g-got aw-w-way," the assistant managed to say again.

"HOW THE HELL DID HE GET AWAY?!" Scott roared. The assistant cowered.

"I-I-I-I d-d-don't k-k-know."

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!"

The assistant ran for his life, which Barney figured he might not have for long. Scott turned to look at him then, and he couldn't resist a smirk. It cost him. Scott moved forward and punched him in the face so hard he saw stars.

"I _will_ find him again, and I _will_ end this! BRACE YOURSELVES!" Scott raged. Then he stormed off.

"You think he'll find us?" Toll asked once they were alone.

"If I know Lee, he'll have a plan," Barney answered. "Just sit tight."

"I am gonna whup some serious ass if I ever get out of here," Gunner grumbled.

"You and me both, man," Doc agreed.

Barney didn't comment. He closed his eyes and prayed that Lee got there quickly.

* * *

 **I really, really would love to hear from you. I'm starting to feel stupid for posting this and not having anyone read it. If you have time to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.**


	4. The Gang's Almost Back Together

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* * *

Rita was surprised when Lee took them to another small house hidden away on the side of a mountain in Harz, Germany. Lee did a quick sweep before letting her inside.

"All clear," he smiled, opening the door.

"Is this another one of your secret hideouts?" she asked him as she looked around. It was surprisingly tidy for a place a bunch of men spent time in.

"Yup," he replied. He took a picture off the wall and revealed a safe. Rita watched him fiddle with it before swinging it open. He pulled out a stack of cash and what looked like fake I.D.'s.

"So where all have you traveled to?" she questioned, curious. He paused from counting money to look at her thoughtfully.

"I actually don't remember them all, but it's a lot," he answered.

"Is this where the others are going to meet us?"

"Yes."

"Will they be here soon?"

"As fast as they can. I expect Trench first."

"Why?"

"He's closer."

"So what do we do when this is all over?" she asked, leaning on the counter and putting her finger on the wad of cash Lee was counting. He stopped and rested his hands on the counter, bending to her level.

"What do you want to do?" he countered.

"Will you be working with Barney again?"

"I don't have to."

"Do you want to?"

She waited for Lee's answer, but she already knew what it was. He wanted to work again. This was his element.

"I don't want to do anything that's going to ruin us," Lee said carefully. He wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"Nothing will ruin us," she reassured him.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

He reached over and touched her face then. She closed her eyes. That simple gesture said a lot of words; it was something he did often. Sometimes it was to reassure her she was all right and other times it was to tell her he loved her. Right now, he was thanking her for being understanding.

A sudden pounding at the door startled them out of their moment, and Lee went to answer.

"Code," he said through the door.

In response, the door was flung open, and Lee was thrown backwards onto his back. Rita grabbed her gun, aiming it at the door while trying not to feel afraid.

"What the hell is going on?" Trench demanded. "Is that code enough for you?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lee shouted to Rita, who was still aiming her gun at Trench. "It's Trench."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"You want I.D.?" Trench asked, chuckling.

"Sure," she nodded. He laughed out loud.

"You've got a very funny partner," he said, pulling Lee to his feet.

"It's nice to see you too," Lee responded, dusting himself off. "Rita, you can put that down now." She did so hesitantly.

"Yin! Come on," Trench called. A short Chinese man appeared all dressed in black.

"Lee," he said, shaking his hand.

"Good to see you, Yin," Lee grinned.

"Who's the broad?" Trench asked. Rita bristled at this. She did not like the term "broad."

"Sergeant Major Rita Vrataski," she introduced herself.

"Oh, big title," Trench said, nudging Lee. "She yours?"

"She's my wife, yes."

"You got married?!" Yin exclaimed. "Oh boy. Poor woman."

"Hey, that's enough out of you," Lee warned.

"So what is this about Barney being captured?" Trench asked. "How did that happen? And you all made fun of me for Nepal."

"It was well orchestrated. They've got Doc, Toll, and Gunner too."

"Caesar?" Yin asked.

"He didn't make it," Lee answered, hanging his head.

"Where are they?" Trench interrupted.

"Here. Germany. Just not sure the exact location yet. I'm waiting for my tech guy to look at this laptop and give me answers," Lee told him.

"Not the kids," Trench groaned.

"They're all I've got," Lee argued. "What would you do?"

"Find adults?" Trench suggested.

"I don't have time for that."

"We're doomed then."

"Negative as always," Lee sighed. He went to sit beside Rita while Trench and Yin sat across from them.

"You were in the War," Yin noted.

"I was," Rita nodded. "Lee too."

"You Full Metal Bitch," Yin grinned.

"Hey, hey," Lee said, holding out his hand. Rita just laughed.

"It's all right. Yes, I am," she said to Yin.

"Angel of Verdun," Trench commented, finally realizing. "Damn. You married this loser?"

"Hey!" Lee said, outraged.

"He grows on you after a while," Rita winked at Lee, who made a face back. Noises sounded outside, and everyone froze. Lee went to the door, which was surprisingly still standing after Trench had booted it in.

"Lee?" a voice sounded.

"Code," Lee answered.

"Let us in or we'll kick your ass?" came the response.

"Close enough," Lee replied, opening it. A woman and three men came inside. Rita didn't recognize any of them as John.

"It's the Little Rascals," Trench said around his cigar, quoting Church. Yin hid his smirk behind his hand. Rita had to contain her laugh as well. Lee openly smirked.

"That's getting old, you guys," the woman said, crossing her arms.

"Just like you," the one guy said, laughing and high fiving the other guy. The older of the three just stood there rolling his eyes.

"Rita, this is Luna," Lee said, gesturing, "Galgo, Mars, and Thorn."

"Nice to meet you," Rita nodded.

"Who is she?" Luna asked.

"That is the Angel of Verdun, Full Metal Bitch," Trench answered for Rita, giving her a wink. "Sergeant Major Rita Vrataski."

"Wow," Mars breathed. "You were in the War?"

"Yes."

"Damn. That's cool," Mars grinned. "Wait! I remember now. You were in the papers!" Thorn rolled his eyes.

"Where is the laptop?" he demanded. Lee handed it to him.

"You can do it?"

"Give me ten minutes, and I'll tell you where they take a piss," Thorn replied.

"That's my tech guy," Lee said to Trench.

"John is doing as he's told and is making sure he's not being followed. I expect he'll get here eventually," Galgo explained. "And I must add that it is an absolute pleasure to meet the Angel of Verdun." He took her hand and kissed it.

"Lips off my wife, Galgo," Lee warned. Galgo looked back and forth between them.

"Is he serious?"

"Yes," Rita smiled.

"Oh shit. Sorry!"

"It's all right, Galgo. Just don't let it happen again," Lee threatened. Galgo stepped back and held up his hands.

"You're my hero," Luna said to Rita, grinning. "We women don't get enough credit, you know?"

"Can you all stop calling me the Angel of Verdun? Just Rita is fine," Rita said. She wasn't exactly fond of that title.

"Okay, Just Rita," Trench commented.

"You haven't been in contact with Drummer have you?" Lee asked them all. They shook their heads in response.

"John dumped him," Luna said.

"Good. I think he's been compromised. Once tech boy over here finds out where Barney is at, we can go," Lee said.

"Almost," Thorn said, clicking away. Rita watched, fascinated, as he sped through so many windows.

"What about John?" Mars asked. "Will he meet us here first?"

"If he gets here by nightfall," Lee replied.

"We're leaving in the dark?" Galgo asked, confirming.

"I believe that's the best way to not get spotted," Lee answered, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Got it," Thorn said, spinning the screen to show them. Lee leaned forward.

"Winterberg," Trench nodded. "Close to here."

"How did they get captured?" Mars wanted to know. Lee swallowed hard. He still couldn't believe they had not been dead after all.

"Scott got my guys after the Mimics left," Lee explained. "Barney shoved me off a cliff to save me, and I thought I saw him die, but apparently he didn't. Scott's mad cos we killed his brother James Munroe in Vilena."

"Oh shit," Yin said. He had been there. Why wasn't Scott looking for him?

"Yea. Him," Lee nodded.

"So what's our plan?" Thorn asked. They all looked at Lee then. He didn't like being the leader. Barney was better at it.

"Well, to quote our leader, 'Track 'em, find 'em, kill 'em,'" Lee said.

"Here, here," Trench said, waving his cigar in a small salute. Rita recognized the look in Lee's eyes. It was revenge.

...

"Hey," Rita said, coming up behind Lee. He was looking out at the lake (how did they always have a place on the lake? Rita wondered), while the others were talking and planning in the house.

"Hey," he replied.

"Track 'em, find 'em, kill 'em, huh?" she smiled, gently touching the scrape on his cheek from the other day.

"Yea."

"I hope for your sake that Barney is still alive," she said.

"Scott had better hope for his sake that he is," Lee corrected.

"I don't know if it matters. You're going to kill him anyway, right?"

"Of course, but it'll be a whole lot worse if Barney's already dead."

"I see."

"I get the feeling you're not sure of what to make of me right now," Lee said, looking at her.

"I know exactly who you are," Rita said. "You're a man on a mission. You fight for your friends. You're loyal and honest, and you are brave."

"Really."

"Mmhmm, but there's one thing I get to see that others don't."

"What's that?"

"How gentle you are," she replied, kissing the corner of his mouth softly. She flashed him a smile as she went to go back inside. Lee couldn't help but smile after her. She was right.

 **Nightfall**

"I'm here," John said, coming inside. Lee nodded at him. The others lowered their weapons when they saw it was him.

"Anyone follow you?"

"No. I guess they thought the job was done."

"Good. Now how do we know if he realizes I'm not dead yet?" Lee asked.

"I intercepted some chatter from the laptop," Thorn answered from the table. "They know, and they're pissed. There's a big warrant out for you now."

"Excellent."

"He'll know you're coming for Barney, though," Luna pointed out. "He'll be prepared."

"He thinks I'm coming for Barney," Lee corrected. "But I'm not."

"You're...not?" Mars faltered. They all looked at each other, confused.

"No. You guys are. I'm luring him away to give you a clean break," Lee explained. Rita felt her breath catch in her throat. Where did he expect her to be?

"Who's with who?" Trench said, echoing her thoughts.

"Yin, Mars, Thorn, Luna, and Rita go get Barney. Trench, John, Galgo, and myself distract Scott."

"No," Rita said immediately, standing up. Lee caught her eyes and knew she wasn't happy.

"I don't want Scott to know you're still alive," Lee said to her when she approached him.

"We do this together, like you promised," she said angrily.

"Come here." Lee led her to the other room and shut the door.

"I'm not separating from you," Rita said defiantly.

"Look, the majority of Scott's men will be after me. I want at least one of us to get out of this alive," Lee instructed. Rita felt her heart rate pick up immensely.

"You're saying you're not going to survive this? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"I might not, but I want you to."

"No."

"Rita, this is not up for debate. You're going to get Barney. Understood?"

Rita wanted to hit him, and she knew he knew it because he took her hands in his suddenly.

"I love you, and I want you to get out of this in one piece. I don't want Scott using you against me again, okay?"

Rita felt all her triggers going off, and she couldn't help but flash back to all the scenes where Lee had died in her arms on the battlefield. Losing him was the worst feeling in the world. She couldn't do it again.

"What if I break your foot? Like you did to Brady?"

"I didn't break his foot. It happened on its own by chance."

"You still shoved him."

"I was going for a sprain," Lee said exasperated. "Let's not go on about that again right now, okay? And don't break my foot."

Rita faked a stomp on his foot, and he dodged it. She started to laugh.

"You're quick," she gestured. He lifted her up over his shoulder then, making her protest. He dropped her onto the bed and landed on top of her, kissing her hungrily.

"I love you," he said again after a moment, brushing her cheek with his fingers.

"I love you too."

"We'll be together again before we know it."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Lee kissed her again before getting off and pulling her to her feet. It was finally dark outside.

"Okay, gang. Let's get this show on the road," Lee ordered. His team followed him to the door, and the others huddled around Yin, waiting for Rita to join them. She stared after Lee, knowing that if she ran after him, he had no choice but to let her come. The look he gave her, though, was begging her to stay behind, so she did. The last thing she saw before he went through the door was his famous crooked smile and a small wave.

* * *

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	5. Betrayal

Lee tried hard to get the image of Rita looking at him when he left. He hated separating from her as much as she did, but he had to. It was to keep her safe. He had purposely left Yin to go with them too since he knew how well Yin was in combat.

"I didn't peg you for the marriage type," John commented as they drove.

"I didn't peg you for a nosy type," Lee countered. Trench sniggered and Galgo guffawed.

"It's just weird is all," John muttered, going back to loading his gun.

"She'll be all right?" Galgo asked. Lee wished he had insisted Trench sit beside him in the front. He wasn't in the mood for chatter.

"She'll be fine. You didn't see her in the War." Lee remembered it clearly. She had been vicious and precise. Granted, he hadn't seen her kill a human being before, but he was confident she could do it.

"I like her," Trench chimed in. "Maybe she'll settle you down."

"Ha, sure," Lee snorted. Now that he knew Rita had been just as bored with their so called simple life, he wondered if she would want to do other missions with him. He knew he loved her for a reason. She was just as free spirited and adventurous as he was. The fact she missed being in action was a bonus.

"So how do we lure Scott?" John asked from the back. Lee had Scott's contact from the laptop, and he handed the burner phone to John.

"You call him," Lee answered.

...

Rita and the others waited for Lee's signal before going ahead. Thorn had the exact location pegged, and they were waiting until the coast was clear. She felt nervous, but she also felt excited. So this is how it felt to be on a mission. No wonder Lee did it for so long. The commotion in the yard alerted them to the fact that Scott had probably just found out where Lee was. Yin's phone buzzed, and he checked.

"Go time," he said, gesturing. They all went single file towards the building. It was kind of like an old hotel but abandoned. They slipped inside without anyone noticing, and they started down the stairs.

"I don't know of any prisoners who are kept in the daylight," Mars had said before they went in. Rita agreed. It was very dark in the basement, and it smelled bad. Rita fought to keep from throwing up.

"Who goes there?" a voice called, making them all freeze.

"People who are gonna save your ass," Yin replied.

"Yin?!" someone exclaimed.

"Yin!" another voice called, sounding grateful.

"Shorty?" a third said.

"Better hurry," the fourth said. Luna finally found the light switch, and she flicked it on. Everyone winced as their eyes burned from the sudden brightness. Then, Rita saw four men strapped to chairs behind bars looking at them.

"The rookies," Gunner groaned. His voice had been the one calling Yin "shorty."

"At least we're not the ones strung up right now," Thorn pointed out.

"Quit yammering and get us loose," the one who had a shaved head like Lee said. Yin came back with the keys and unlocked the door. Rita and the others set to work to quickly free them.

"Good to see you, Yin," the dark haired, older one said, shaking Yin's hand. His body showed signs of lots of beatings. Rita figured it had to be Barney.

"You too, Barney," Yin nodded, confirming it for her.

"Thank God," the shaved head guy said, shaking Yin's hand too. The giant, blond Swedish man and the thin, African American man followed suit.

"Good to see all of you," Barney said, nodding at Thorn, Luna, and Mars. He looked at Rita then. "I don't know you."

"Rita Vrataski," she managed to say.

"Full Metal Bitch," Barney said, his lips twitching into a small smile.

"How did you...?"

"Scott watches the news pretty loud," Barney finished for her. "Okay, team. Let's get out of here. Rita, this is Toll Road, Doc, and Gunner."

"Hello," they said, nodding at her.

"How did you get on board?" Barney asked, curious. "I didn't know you knew my younger team."

"She's Lee's wife," Thorn said. There was a stunned silence.

"Well I'll be damned," Barney chuckled. "The old boy settled down. Where is he anyway?"

"He's leading Scott away so we can escape," Rita said.

"Ah. Good plan. All right, let's go, but first, I'm getting my gun back," Barney said, going over to the bin by the wall. He pulled out all their weapons and tossed them to the others.

"Is it loaded?" Rita asked, looking at Barney as he holstered his little pistol. He laughed.

"Yea. It's loaded."

"Come on. Chat time can be later," Mars urged. Barney led the way. Rita hung near the back. She hoped Lee was all right.

...

"Scott's on his way," John said as they hit the bump full force. They were all knocked forward and back in their seats except Lee. He knew he was driving a little erratically, but he was nervous. He hoped Rita and the others had rescued Barney by now and got out. He pulled over and parked.

"Okay, now let's get Scott," Lee said, getting out. The others followed.

...

Scott was seething, but he knew it was all going to be over soon. He was in the lead SUV with four others behind him. He was going to finish Lee Christmas if it was the last thing he did.

...

"Hold up," Barney said, putting out his hand and catching Mars before he rounded the corner. He signaled for them to be quiet, and Rita knew there were guards out there. Barney peered around to see how many of them there were. He pulled his head back, confused.

"I thought you said Lee was taking the attention off this place?" he asked Thorn.

"He is," Thorn replied, confused. Rita felt a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong.

...

"Here they come," Lee said into his intercom. "You know what to do."

"Say the word," Trench's voice came back.

"He brought a lot of guys," Galgo said, pointing out the obvious as usual. Lee shifted, his eye in the scope. John was with him, and they were waiting for Scott.

"That was the point, Galgo," Lee said. He turned off his mic then. "Geez, he's an idiot sometimes."

"Yea," John said absently. Lee looked at him then, sensing something was off.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm really sorry about this," John said. Lee went to move, but John was already mid swing. Lee fought him off, but then John had a gun to his head.

"What the f**k, man?" Lee demanded.

"I'm sorry," John said again, his voice wavering. Lee stared at him until Scott himself came up to join them.

"Well, well, as you can see I have my own eyes and ears," Scott said, crossing his arms. "Good work Smilee."

Lee was beyond furious that he had been played so easily. How had he missed it? This was why he did better as second in command. Barney would have figured this out. At least, Lee hoped he would have. Scott led him down to the waiting cars. Trench was nowhere to be seen, but Galgo was there with his hands behind his head.

"Is this all of them?" Scott asked.

"One is missing," a guy answered.

"Find him," Scott ordered. "Let's go. Now!" Lee was handcuffed and put in the back with Galgo.

"Didn't see this coming," Galgo sighed.

"Shut up," Lee growled. He hoped nothing had happened to Rita.

...

"Get down!" Barney shouted as bullets went flying everywhere. They were ambushed very quickly. Rita couldn't understand what was happening.

"Why are they all here?" she asked over the noise.

"Lee's been tricked," Barney replied back. "It's the only thing I can think of."

"Boss? We're gonna get out, right?" Toll asked. Rita could sense his fear. Everyone was looking at Barney as they huddled behind objects. Mars and Thorn were shooting off rounds randomly to keep them covered.

"We'll get out," Barney nodded. Rita saw he didn't look so sure, but she let it go. He fired off some more shots before gesturing they go down the hall. Rita felt her heart pumping as they ran. There were more guards in the hallway, and she didn't have any cover.

"Split up!" Barney shouted. He shoved Rita into a room and shut the door. She stood there frozen and alone. Then, she heard a noise.

...

Scott and his men led Lee and Galgo towards his hideout. From the gunfire going on inside, Lee figured Barney had been released. He really hoped so. Then, it all went quiet.

"We got 'em, sir," a guy said to Scott. "They're cornered."

"Perfect. Line them up. I'm gonna do this execution style," Scott said, shoving Lee forward. They went up the stairs, and Lee's heart sank when he saw them all on their knees. Barney, Toll, Doc, Gunner, Mars, Luna, Thorn, Yin, and...wait, where was Rita? Barney's eyes met Lee's, and he knew that his friend had done something to keep Rita safe.

"Let's go for a walk," Scott said. He was eager to get this over with.

"Sir?"

"What?!"

"The general wants to speak with you. He says it's urgent."

"Can't I get anything done around here?" Scott snarled. "Fine! Take them down and lock them up. I'll be back."

"Scott," John started.

"Shut up!" Scott shouted at him. John closed his mouth.

"Good to see you," Barney managed to say to Lee as they were led back downstairs.

"It wasn't supposed to go like this," Lee muttered back.

"It ain't over," Barney said, giving Lee a look. He understood what it meant. Rita was still roaming free.

* * *

 **If you have time to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.**


	6. Stealth & Love

**Some action in this chapter. Potential trigger warning.**

* * *

Rita whirled around at the noise and gasped. She couldn't help it. There was a woman tied to the bed shouting at her through her gag. Rita looked and saw the light turn off in the bathroom. They weren't alone. She drew her knife and hurried over. When the man came out, she attacked him viciously, killing him on the spot. She then went to lock the door and put a chair under it, hoping it would keep out anyone else. She finally turned her attention to the woman.

"Are you hurt?" she asked when she removed the gag.

"Get me out of here," the woman whimpered back. Rita cut her free and helped her to her feet.

"I'm Rita," she said.

"I'm Amy."

"Can you shoot a gun?"

"Yes," she nodded. Rita went over and picked up the dead man's gun and handed it to her. A voice came on the loudspeaker then, startling them both.

"For those who want to help rid the world of scum, come to the basement," Scott's voice said. "Now!"

"My friends have been captured I think. Can you help me?" Rita asked, feeling nauseous. That message could only mean Barney and the team were back where they started.

"Where's John?" Amy asked, panicked. "Is he here too?"

"John?"

"Yes. He's an expendable."

"John Smilee?"

"Yes."

"He's with Lee..." Rita trailed off. "Does he know you're here?" Amy nodded vigorously. Rita suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Look, if you want to get out of here in one piece, you do what I say, all right?"

"Okay," Amy agreed.

"I need to get back to the basement without being seen," Rita said.

"The laundry chute," Amy pointed. Rita regarded it for a moment.

"It goes all the way down?"

"I think so. That's what the one maid said anyway."

"Okay," Rita nodded firmly, going over to it. She opened the door and peered down.

"I...I'm claustrophobic," Amy said, shaking. "I can't go down there."

"It's okay. You stay here and shoot anyone who enters unless it's me," Rita ordered.

"Okay," Amy replied.

"You're a very brave woman," Rita told her, trying to make her feel a little better.

"I don't feel so brave right now," Amy cried.

"You are. Now hide. I'll be back," Rita promised. She lowered herself into the chute and pressed her hands and feet against the wall. She tried not to think about how far down it was. It made her dizzy. She was frantically trying to come up with some sort of plan for when she got to the bottom.

...

Lee didn't even flinch when the guard smashed his head into Lee's after tying his arms over his head. They were doing this with everyone, and Lee knew what was coming next. He was glad Rita wasn't here for this. He hoped she escaped and was far from here. A part of him knew that wouldn't be the case, though. He was filled with dread wondering where she was and if she'd get caught.

"Well, this is more than what I had hoped for," Scott said, pacing. He was back from his phone call, and he was feeling great. The deal was going the way he'd planned. Things were looking up. John was standing apart from the others. Luna was glaring at him, which made him uncomfortable. He avoided eye contact with all of them. Lee wanted to strangle him.

"So, who shall we shoot first?" Scott asked. The guards all started talking excitedly.

"Well, it's been real," Barney said to Lee as they watched.

"Who knew it'd end like this huh?" Lee said back.

"I'm sorry."

"So long as she escapes, I don't care."

"She's something, Lee. You did good."

"Thanks."

"Aaaand the vote is the famous Lee Christmas!" Scott said loudly. Lee kept his glare even as Scott neared him with his swagger.

"Fight, fight, fight!" a guard shouted.

"Oh, you wanna see him fight to the death?" Scott egged them on.

"YEA!"

"Unfortunately, I disagree. They're too good to be set loose. Sorry, folks, but on the other hand, I don't have a problem teaching 'em a lesson while they're incapacitated."

Sounds of encouragement went around the room. Lee braced himself for impact as Scott cracked his knuckles, looking at him. This was gonna hurt.

...

"Okay," Rita whispered to herself. She was at the bottom, and she could see the bin of clothes under her. She could drop into it no problem. She just didn't want anyone to see her. She pulled out her knife and held the blade below her. A quick scan showed her that everyone had their backs to her. She made her decision. She dropped into the bin. The clothes muffled the sound of her fall, and she waited a moment before peeking over the side. She saw them all strung up in a line. She studied the situation. She could shoot them down quite easily, but all eyes would be on her after that, though. Then Scott started pounding on Lee, making her bite down her rage. Scott wouldn't be so gleeful if Lee wasn't so helpless. Trying not to watch, she pulled out her rifle and clutched it for a moment. She was probably going to die. There were no resets, no chances to try again. This was her only chance. At least she'd go down fighting. She carefully set the barrel of the gun on the edge of the bin, and she aimed.

...

Barney felt rage inside that it was ending this way. How could this have happened? He was furious at John, who was not looking at him at all. The betrayal was beyond disbelief. Barney wanted to kill him with his bare hands. He knew Lee was just as angry and getting even more so with every punch and kick Scott was giving him right now. Barney was glad he'd shoved Lee's wife into that room to spare her this horrific death. He hoped she had gotten out. Just when it seemed all hope was lost, a shot sounded, and miraculously, Lee was no longer dangling by his wrists.

For a split second, nobody moved, then all hell broke loose. Lee lunged for Scott, who dodged and hid in the crowd. More shots sounded, and Barney, Toll, and Gunner leaped onto the guards in front of them and snapped their necks. They took their guns and started firing, using the dead bodies as shields. Barney set loose the rest of his team one shot at a time. Scott had slipped away.

"DIE!" Gunner roared, spraying bullets with Yin and Toll copying him. The others joined in the fray and took down their captors slowly. John slipped away into the darkness, and Barney saw him go.

"Oh no you don't," he growled to himself. He charged after him.

...

Rita felt triumphant that her plan worked and that no one had sought her out yet. She took more shots as she could, taking out some guards as all their attention was focused on the team attacking them. She made to get out of the bin when a hand yanked her up by the hair. She screamed, receiving a hard slap right away.

"Come on, bitch," Scott snarled, hauling her with him. John was beside them, looking behind them nervously as they made their way up the back stairs.

...

Lee followed Barney, knowing he'd be going after Scott and/or John. He wanted to end this too. He skidded into view where Barney was standing, and immediately his heart dropped.

"Drop 'em," Scott ordered, his gun pressed against Rita's head.

"It's okay," Rita said, looking at Lee. One person dying instead of almost 10 was better.

"It's us you have the beef with," Barney said, holding his hand out. "She's not a part of this."

"She became a part of this when she married Mr. Lee," Scott snapped.

"How could you, John?" Lee demanded. "Huh?"

"He paid better," John answered, his tone shaky.

"Good to know who your friends are, eh?" Scott said, sneering. "So in a way, he's murdered your wife, Lee."

"I'll finish him," Lee snarled. John gulped, afraid. He had seen Lee in action plenty.

"Say bye bye," Scott said, grinding the barrel into her temple. Rita held her gaze with Lee.

"I love you," she mouthed. He went for his knife when Scott pulled the trigger.

* * *

 **If you have time to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it. Is there anything about this story that you like at all?**


	7. The End For Now

Lee roared as his knife went sailing into Scott's arm. Scott howled in pain, dropping the gun. He took off then, and Rita stood there wondering why she wasn't dead. Barney went for John, who was backing up and begging for mercy.

"I gave him blanks!" John shouted. "I gave him blanks!"

"What?" Barney demanded. John pointed to Rita.

"Those were blanks!" John yelled. Lee ran after Scott, who was making his way outside. Rita hurried after them, thinking he might need help. It turned out she needn't have worried. Lee tackled Scott, and they rolled and fought until getting up again. Lee dodged and blocked all of Scott's attempts while dishing out well aimed shots of his own back. Rita watched, feeling tense. She wanted to help but had no idea how to even get involved. When Scott managed to throw Lee to the ground, Rita's heart leaped to her throat.

"You die now!" Scott shouted, pulling out the knife Lee had thrown at him. Rita whipped out her pistol and fired off two shots. Scott's face showed surprise as he fell to his face on the ground, dead. Lee looked up at her gratefully, but she was shaking. He got to his feet and went over to her, holding her arms tightly with his hands.

"You all right? You okay?" he asked, searching her face.

"I'm fine," she answered. They looked to see Barney and John in the doorway.

"What is the meaning of this?" Barney growled, holding John in a choke hold.

"Wait!" Rita shouted, pushing back from Lee and hurrying to them. "John, Amy's upstairs."

"She is?" John choked.

"Amy?" Lee questioned.

"She was a prisoner," Rita explained. "I set her free and came to get you guys."

Barney relaxed his hold on John, who gasped in air.

"Amy is?" he asked John.

"My girlfriend," John managed to say around Barney's fingers. "Scott was gonna kill her if I didn't help him get you guys."

"She's all right," Rita reassured him. "She's upstairs with a gun. I'll show you."

"Wait a minute," Barney said, still holding John by the wrist. "Is that the only reason? Thought you said he paid better?"

"He wasn't paying me. He threatened to kill Amy. I had to save her," John said. "I'm so sorry. I knew he'd want to do execution style, though, so I gave him blanks in his gun. He never knew."

"If Rita hadn't been there, what was your plan?" Barney demanded.

"I was gonna throw you my gun once I shot you down," John answered. "She beat me to it. That and I knew if he was close enough to one of you guys you'd do something to him."

"Amy's really scared," Rita said, interrupting. "I think we should get her."

"I'm coming," John said. Lee and Barney followed to ensure no more funny business happened. Rita knocked on the door softly.

"Amy? It's me. Don't shoot," Rita said. They heard a scraping noise and the bolt being unlocked. A woman poked her head out. She looked terrified.

"Amy," John said, gasping.

"John!" she cried. She flung herself into his arms, and he rocked her back and forth.

"I'm sorry," he cried. "I'm so sorry. It's all right now. I'm so sorry."

Rita turned away to give them privacy. She holstered her gun as they walked down the stairs. They were met by the others in the main entrance.

"All dead," Gunner said. There was a gleam in his eyes.

"I'm ready to go home," Toll added. He was covered in sweat and blood.

"Hear, hear," Doc chimed in.

"Trench?" Yin asked. The door was blown open then, and Trench stood there gun in hand and cigar in his mouth.

"Knock, knock," he said.

"You're a little late," Lee scoffed.

"Sorry. I was busy losing the six guys on my ass."

"Can we please go now?" Toll said again. He never wanted to see this place again.

"Yes," Barney nodded. "Let's go." They headed out the door while Lee stayed behind. He caught sight of John coming down with Amy, who still looked terrified. He stopped in front of Lee while Amy hid her head into his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry, man," John apologized.

"I would have done the same thing," Lee told him. He looked over at Rita, and he knew it was true.

"Am I out?" John asked, looking worried.

"You might have to win some people over," Lee commented.

"There he is!" Luna shouted on cue. "Traitor!"

"Luna, wait," Rita tried. Luna stormed over to John before seeing Amy. She faltered, unsure of what to do.

"I did it for her," John said. "He...he was gonna kill her. I'm sorry. I gave him blanks, though. I had a plan."

"I'm still pissed at you," Luna snapped, spinning on her heel and joining Mars and Thorn outside.

"Like I said, you're gonna have to win them over," Lee repeated, smirking. He went over to join Rita then and looked at her seriously.

"I'm fine," Rita told him. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Has anyone ever told you how hot you are?" Lee asked, a slow smile spreading on his face. Rita gave him a shove, and he laughed. He put his arm around her, and together they walked out of the building and back towards their simple lives.

...

"Drinks are on me," Barney said. They had entered the first bar they found and were all sitting around a table. Mars, Thorn, Luna, and Galgo had decided to take the first flight home. John and Amy had left immediately after vacating Scott's place. Yin and Trench headed for home as well. It was just the original gang minus Caesar and Tool, and their absence was felt by them. Losing family was the most difficult thing, but Caesar and Tool would forever be in their hearts. Rita sat in Lee's lap as the others drank and chatted.

"How do you guys do this?" Rita asked.

"Do what?" Lee countered.

"Be so casual. You were almost killed," Rita pointed out. Lee shrugged.

"We're used to it."

"It's all we've ever known," Gunner added.

"Second nature," Toll said, nodding. He gripped his mug a little tighter than usual, though.

"Twelve months is a hell of a long time to be held captive," Barney said, rubbing his head roughly.

"I'm sorry," Lee said, looking upset then.

"It's not your fault. You thought we were dead," Barney responded. "Hell, I didn't think you made it either. That was a long fall for you off that cliff."

"So, Lee," Gunner said. "Will you be coming home with us?"

Lee looked at Rita questioningly.

"I'll go wherever you go," she said.

"Told you I liked her," Barney smiled. She gave him a smile back.

"It's very weird to see you married," Doc chuckled. "Hope that doesn't make you a softie."

"Oh, bring it, Doc," Lee said, shifting Rita off his lap.

"Here we go," Barney rolled his eyes.

"What's happening?" Rita asked, moving over to sit beside Barney while Lee and Doc got in each other's faces.

"Never have more than one knife specialist on your team," Barney sighed, taking a swig of his beer then.

"Nobody beats Lee," Toll chimed in. "Well, Tool did once, but to be fair, Lee was having a bad day."

"Nobody beats him, huh?" Rita said, watching her husband and Doc throw their knives at the board.

"Supposedly," Gunner nodded. Rita stood then, reaching for her knife as she walked over to Lee.

"What's this?" Doc asked, seeing her knife. "Competition? Damn, girl."

"You think you can beat that?" Lee teased her. She put her face really close to his.

"Watch me," she whispered.

"Oho!" Doc hooted. Without looking, Rita threw her knife, and it landed exactly between Doc and Lee's.

"I was wrong," Barney noted. "Lee can be beaten."

"Damn!" Toll shouted, clapping. Rita took a bow and went to head back when Lee caught her hand and pulled her back to him. Barney grinned as his friend planted one on his wife. It was good to see Lee so happy.

"Marriage made him better," Gunner said, awestruck.

"Figures," Barney chuckled. "Now there's three knife specialists to fight with each other."

"I relinquish the title of Master to you," Doc said to Rita, bowing his head at her.

"Oh, stop," she said. "Anyone could have done that."

"You should see what she can do with three knives," Lee said, coming back with them from the board. Doc took his back and went to join the team again. Rita took hers from his fingers and pinched his cheek, smirking at him as she went to sit next to Barney again. Lee looked at his team and his wife, and he felt like nothing could ever be this good.

 **A Few Days Later**

"I missed this place," Rita said, setting her bag down on the floor. They were back at the cottage where everything had started between them during the War. Lee watched her walk around with a small smile on his face. Since they were planning on returning to the States, Lee wanted to have a holiday with Rita first. They also had to attend Mark's wedding, which was going to take place in England. Rita was glad for the chance to recharge before going to it and then going to America.

"You wanna do a replay of our first night here?" Lee asked.

"Second you mean," she corrected.

"Right."

"I could," she mused, leaning against the table. "You're not going to shoot me in the face, though, right?"

"I did that?" Lee asked, wincing.

"Well, it was at my request. I had a deadline," she explained.

"How are you really," Lee said, moving so he was against her and his hands were on the table next to hers. Rita looked at him seriously since his face was pretty much right in hers.

"I still have flashbacks. I still see you dying. I still remember dying. I still feel afraid I'm going to wake up and you'll be gone," she said quietly. "But I am working through it, and I am pretty confident that eventually it will all go away."

"I have nightmares," Lee admitted.

"You do?"

"Mmhmm."

"Bad ones?" she asked. This was a first for him, admitting to her that he had nightmares.

"Sometimes they are so mixed up I have no idea what's happening. I sometimes have this recurring one where we are in Verdun and you die in front of me."

"Really," Rita frowned. It didn't make sense. How could he remember something when technically he didn't?

"Maybe it's just my mind contorting things," Lee shrugged. He slid his hands up her waist then.

"You shout a lot," Rita told him as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I do?"

"Yes. And sometimes you thrash around and push me off the bed," she finished.

"I had no idea..."

"I never told you. I didn't want to worry you. It's why I kept thinking you should talk to someone."

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

"I guess you are."

"I'll try to be less violent in bed," Lee promised. "Just wake me up, all right?"

"Okay," she agreed. He kissed her slowly then.

"I have good dreams too, you know," he breathed.

"Oh yea?" she murmured, biting his lip gently.

"I can show you," he responded, pulling her up into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him as he walked to the bedroom. She shut the door on the way by, kissing him passionately. It was definitely a good re-enactment of their first night together, she had to admit.

...

"You may kiss the bride," the minister finished. Mark kissed Becky with such gusto he got cheered and whooped at by the crowd. Lee laughed along with James and Brady, who were also standing up with him. Rita was on the other side with Brady's wife and Mark's sister. Lee held out his arm for Rita to take as they walked behind Mark and Becky up the aisle.

"He's so happy," Rita commented, smiling.

"I know. It's great," Lee agreed. He caught sight of Brady high fiving his eldest son as they passed. He was glad he had made the split decision to prevent Brady from going to Verdun, even though it meant Brady had a small limp for the rest of his life. His foot never did heal properly. They enjoyed the reception, and Mark and Becky made everyone's hearts melt with their first dance and speeches. Lee would catch Rita's eye every so often, and she'd smile back. Barney had called him earlier about a house, and he'd put an offer on it. He wanted Rita to like their new life, even if it wasn't just simple anymore.

"Hey, it's our song," she said, pulling him to his feet.

"It is?" he asked. It still bothered him at times that Rita had all these memories of what they did together and he didn't, but he had to let it go. There was no use in getting mad or upset about it. She spun them around, laughing, and he couldn't help but join in. Her laugh was contagious.

"Come on now," he said after a while. "We can't steal the show from the bride and groom."

"Oh, you're right," she said, breathless. She smoothed her dress down and fluffed her hair with her fingers. Lee liked it down since he rarely got to see it that way. She looked different.

"Champagne?" the waiter offered.

"Oh, none for me, thanks," Rita said. Lee paused from sipping his, looking at her curiously. She flushed. He suddenly realized she hadn't had any alcohol in the past two weeks.

"Are you...?"

"Can we talk?" she interrupted, pulling him to the hallway. He followed her as she went to the ladies' room and locked the door.

"Wow, your bathrooms are even more glamorous," Lee noted. Then he focused on Rita. She was standing in front of him looking flustered.

"Lee," she started.

"What is it, luv?"

She pulled out a white stick from her purse. Lee felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Is that...?"

"I haven't looked at it yet," she said quickly. "I...I haven't been feeling so well the past couple of weeks, and I thought I should check."

"When did you...do this?" he finished awkwardly.

"An hour ago. I couldn't bring myself to look at it without you."

"Well, I'm here now," Lee said. Rita took in a deep breath and released it.

"You are," she nodded. "Okay, here goes." She breathed again and looked at it. Lee felt his heart speed up rather quickly as he watched her face.

"Well?" he pressed.

"Positive," she said quietly, looking at him finally. "Lee, it's positive."

"Holy shit," Lee managed to say. "We're having a baby?"

"Uh huh," she nodded vigorously. He closed the gap between them, kissing her ferociously. He suddenly wanted her very badly.

"Lee," she gasped, holding him tightly. "We're in the _ladies'_..."

"I'm just so friggin happy," he said, pressing his face against hers.

The doorknob rattled then, and women's voices were getting high pitched in the hall.

"We can't," Rita said firmly. "As much as I want to."

"Are you happy with this?" Lee asked suddenly, gripping her hands in his. He needed to know.

"Of course!" she gushed. "It's our child, Lee. Oh, gosh how are we going to explain our jobs to our baby?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there," Lee laughed. Banging on the door ensued. Rita unlocked it and yanked it open, revealing four women standing there gaping at the two of them.

"Excuse me," Rita said, holding her head high as she pulled Lee along with her past them all. The tittering started immediately, and Rita barely held it in until they were far enough away. They both burst out into laughter.

"You've made me more happy than I ever thought I could be," Lee said after, sliding a hand behind her head and kissing her again. She hugged him, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"We made it," she said, muffled by his suit jacket.

"Come on," he said, untangling himself from her. "Let's go celebrate." Hand in hand, they walked back into the reception area towards a future that looked rather bright.

...

Barney answered the phone even though it was almost 2 a.m. as he had a feeling he knew who it would be.

"Yea?"

"Hey, it's me," Lee said.

"What's up? Everything all right?" Barney asked, sitting up.

"Yea, yea. Look, I'm calling because I have to tell you that I'm out."

"You're out?"

"I'm out."

"For good?"

"For now."

"I see," Barney said, feeling puzzled. No less than 12 hours ago Lee was planning on coming back. "What changed?"

"Rita's pregnant."

"Wow. Congrats," Barney responded, getting it now.

"A kid needs their dad, you know?" Lee said.

"I know." Barney did know. He knew it bothered Lee that he didn't have parents. He understood.

"We good?"

"Of course. If you ever want back in..."

"I'll call," Lee finished.

"Good," Barney said, nodding in the dark. "Take care, eh?"

"I will, thanks. You too."

Barney looked at the phone in his hands after they hung up and smiled. His boy was all grown up.

 **The End...For Now**

* * *

 **Of course it's not the end. I have a third story lined up, which I'll post soon. Just picture the Expendables with a toddler in their midst. It will be funny and cute along with action and suspense I promise. I really hope you enjoyed it even though I didn't hear from you. Until next time!**


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